Application Guidelines For Research Student
Application Guidelines For Research Student
Application Guidelines For Research Student
has completed or will complete 16 years of school education in a foreign country (or 18
years of school education if he/she desires to enroll in a doctoral course in the field of
medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, or pharmacy which is based on a 6-year course in
a department or faculty); or
is or will be aged 22 or older and has taken an individual entrance qualification
examination and has been judged by a Japanese graduate school as being equal or superior
in academic ability to a university graduate (or 24 or older if he/she desires to enroll in a
doctoral course in the field of medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, or pharmacy which
is based on a 6-year course in a department or faculty). Eligible applicants include those
who otherwise satisfy or will satisfy qualification requirements for admission to a Japanese
graduate school. As a general rule, a person who has completed a doctoral course may not
apply unless he/she seeks to obtain a degree.
(4) Japanese Language Ability: Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese. Applicants must
be interested in Japan and be willing to deepen their understanding
of Japan after arriving in Japan. Applicants must also have the
ability to do research in Japanese and adapt to living in Japan.
(5)Health: Applicants must be free from any mental or physical disabilities that would impede
the pursuit of study at Japanese graduate school.
(6) Arrival in Japan: In principle, applicants must be able to arrive in Japan between the 1st and
7th of April 2016, or by the date specified by the accepting university, which
will fall within two weeks of the starting date for each semester (in general,
in September or October) in that year designated by the accepting
university.
(7) Visa Requirement: Applicants must acquire College Student (ryugaku) visas before entering
Japan. They then enter Japan with the College Student (ryugaku) residence
status. Please also note that those who change their visa status to one other
than College Student after arrival in Japan will lose their qualification to be
Japanese Government Scholarship recipients from the date when their visa
status changes.
(8) Others: After returning to the home country, former scholarship recipients shall maintain
close contact with the university where they studied, cooperate with the conducting
of post-return survey questionnaires, participate in events conducted by Japanese
diplomatic missions in their country, and work to improve relations between the
home country and Japan.
() Any applicant who meets any or all of the following conditions is ineligible. If identified after
the start of the scholarship period, the applicant will be required to withdraw from the
scholarship.
Those who are military personnel or military civilian employees at the time of their arrival
in Japan;
Those who cannot arrive in Japan during the period designated by MEXTor the accepting
university;
course for a degree from a Research Student (non-degree) course, or to a doctoral course
from a masters course or a professional graduate course, he/she may have the term of
his/her scholarship extended upon a successful examination by MEXT and provided that
he/she has made outstanding academic achievement that meets certain criteria. However,
note the following;
A grantee cannot have the period of his/her scholarship extended as a Research Student
(non-degree) course.
If a grantee proceeds to a more advanced level of education without receiving approval for
an extension of the period of the scholarship, the scholarship will be cancelled. He/she
may, however, proceed to a more advanced level of education or continue with his/her
study as a privately-financed student.
A Research Student(non-regular students) is not eligible to apply for an extension of the
scholarship period if he/she cannot proceed to masters or doctoral course by the end of
the term of the Research Students scholarship. However if he/she withdraw traveling costs
(transportation from Japan), they are eligible to apply for an extension of the scholarship
period.
4.SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS
(1) Allowance: 143,000yen (Research Students(non-regular students), 144,000yen (regular
students
in
Masters
courses
or
professional
graduate
courses),
or
145,000yen(regular students in doctoral courses) per month. (In case that the
recipient research in a designated region, 2,000 or 3,000 yen per month will be
added. The monetary amount each year may be subject to change due to
budgetary reasons.) The scholarship is cancelled in principle if the recipient is
absent from the university for an extended period. The scholarship will be also
cancelled in principle in the following situations. If the recipient has been
receiving the scholarship despite his/her falling under any of the following
situations, the recipient will be ordered to return the amount of scholarship that
he/she received during the period wherein he/she was involved with any of the
following situations.
The recipient is determined to have made a false statement on his/her application;
The recipient violates any article of his/her pledge to the Minister of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology;
The recipient violates any Japanese laws;
The recipient is expelled from his/her university or preparatory educational institution or
receives other punishment, or is removed from enrollment; (The scholarship payment may
be stopped during the period up until punishment is decided by the university, etc.)
It has been determined that it will be impossible for the recipient to complete the training
course within the standard time period because of poor academic grades or suspension
from the university;
The recipients residence status has changed to one other than College Student as defined
in the Appended Table I-4 of the Immigration Act;
The recipient has received a scholarship from another institution (excluding those
specified for research expenditures).
If he/she proceeds to a more advanced level of education without receiving approval for
an extension of the period of the scholarship.
(2)Traveling Costs
Transportation to Japan: The recipient will be provided, according to his/her itinerary and
route as designated by MEXT, with an economy-class airplane
ticket from the international airport nearest to his/her home
country residence * to the New Tokyo International Airport or any
other international airport that the appointed university usually
uses. Expenses such as inland transportation from his/her home
address to the international airport, airport tax, airport usage fees,
special taxes on travel, or inland transportation within Japan will
NOT be covered. (*The address in the country of the recipients
nationality stated in the application form is in principle regarded as
the recipients home country residence.)
Transportation from Japan: In principle, the recipient who returns to his/her home
country within the fixed period after the expiration of his/her
scholarship will be provided, upon application, with an economyclass airplane ticket for travel from the New Tokyo International
Airport or any other international airport that the appointed
university usually uses to the international airport nearest to
his/her home address.
Note 1: If a grantee returns home without having received an extension even though
he/she may have applied for extension of the scholarship period, as a general rule,
he/she will not be paid for the travel expenses to return to the home country.
Note 2: Any aviation and accident insurance to and from Japan shall be paid for by the
recipient.
Note 3: If a grantee continues to stay in Japan after the scholarship period has ended,
he/she will not be paid travel expenses to return to the home country for a
temporary return.
(3) Tuition and Other Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition at
universities will be paid by the Japanese government.
Note 1: The result of the Japanese language examination will be used as reference data for
placement at a university and for Japanese-language education to be provided upon the
applicants arrival in Japan.
Note 2: In particular, if an applicant with limited proficiency in Japanese desires to pursue
studies in fields such as Japanese linguistics, Japanese literature, Japanese history, or
Japanese law fields that require sufficient knowledge of the Japanese language
he/she will not be selected as a grantee unless there are exceptional circumstances.
(3) The following policy will apply to each stage of screening:
Application documents: Must show that the applicants academic achievement at the
university he/she last graduated from equaled or exceeded the
minimum specified level, and state the applicants desired research
program in a detailed and concrete manner.
Written examination: Must show that the applicant obtained scores that cleared the fixed
cut-off level in both Japanese or English.
Interview: Must reveal that the applicant has a clear sense of purpose relating to his/her
study in Japan and has gathered information about Japanese universities. The
interview must also reveal that the applicant has sufficient Japanese or English
language ability to communicate with his/her adviser in Japan. If the applicant
desires to study a subject that requires advanced Japanese language proficiency,
the interview must show that the applicant has a considerable degree of Japanese
language proficiency.
(4) Results of the primary screening will be notified to the applicants on the date separately
designated by the Japanese diplomatic mission.
(5) Each person who has passed this primary screening is required to contact directly the
Japanese university of his/her choice in order to obtain admission as a regular student for a
degree or as a Research Student (non-regular student) in a graduate course, or a letter of
provisional acceptance as a research student (hereinafter referred to as Admission) by the
31th of August. In order to obtain the Admission, candidates can gain information regarding
the contact office for international students of each university, websites of universities and
researchers, etc. from the Japanese diplomatic mission. Candidates are not allowed to
contact Japanese universities after the 1st of September.
(6) Each candidate must submit to the university of his/her choice a set of the documents that
are submitted to and returned by the Japanese diplomatic mission (application, academic
transcript of the university attended, research program plan, etc.) all with a confirmation seal
of the Japanese diplomatic mission affixed, and a certificate of the primary selection issued
by the Japanese diplomatic mission. Additional documents may have to be submitted upon
request of the university.
(7) MEXT will conduct a secondary screening based on the results of the primary screening
conducted by the Japanese diplomatic mission, and select applicants as MEXT scholarship
grantees whose placement at a university of their choice has been decided.
Note 1: Applicants who have passed the primary screening at a Japanese diplomatic mission
are not necessarily accepted as MEXT scholarship grantees.
Note 2: Applicants who were not accepted by any universities which the applicants named in
their Placement Preference Form will not be selected as MEXT scholarship grantees.
(6) If a grantee desires to advance to a regular course for a degree from a Research Student
non-degree course, in principle, he/she must move on to the graduate school of the university
at which he/she is studying as a Research Student. If proceeding to the graduate school is
deemed to be inappropriate given the grantees major field or ability, he/she may be allowed
to transfer to another graduate school provided that he/she is admitted to it.
Note 1: Under the educational system of Japan, a typical master's degree course lasts for two
years subsequent to graduation from a university (i.e. after completion of 16 years of
school education), and a typical doctoral degree course lasts for three years after
completion of a master's course. If a student has completed such a two-, or three-year
course, obtained the necessary credits, and passed the final examination after submitting
his/her graduation thesis, he/she will be granted the relevant degree.
Note 2: In the fields of medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, and pharmacy which is based
on a 6-year course at a department or faculty, most of the universities offer only 4-year
doctoral courses. For admission to such a doctoral course an applicant is required to
have completed 18 years of school education. If an applicant completed 16 years of
school education, he/she is required to have engaged for two or more years in research
activities at universities or research institutions subsequent to completion of the 16 years
of education, and to be deemed by a graduate school in Japan as being academically
equal to an applicant who completed a 18 years of formal education.
Note 3: Professional graduate schools were opened in 2003 with the aim of developing
individuals with deep knowledge and outstanding ability in their field in order to support
professions that require sophisticated expertise. The standard required duration of study
is two years. In some fields of study, the duration is less than two years but more than one
year. Upon completion of the course a masters degree (specialized occupation) is
conferred. Among the professional graduate schools are graduate schools of law. These
schools require a standard duration of study of three years. Upon completion of the
course a student will be granted the degree of Doctor of Law (specialized occupation).
Note 4: Entrance examinations given by a graduate school vary from one university to another.
In general, applicants have to take examinations in two foreign languages, his/her major
subject, and an essay test.
7. APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Applicants must submit the following documents to the Japanese diplomatic missions by the
required date. The submitted documents will not be returned.
Application Form (a prescribed form)original3photo
Placement Preference Form (a prescribed form) original1photo
Field of Study and Research Program Plan (a prescribed form) original1, copy 2
Certified grade transcript for each academic year from the last university attended (issued by
that university) original1, copy 2
Graduation certificate or degree certificate of the last university attended (or an attested
document certifying that the applicant will graduate from the school, where applicable) 1
original, 2 copies
Recommendation from the president/dean or the adviser of the last university attended
1 original, 2copies
Recommendation from the present employer (if currently employed) 1 original, 2 copies
Medical certificate (prescribed form) original1, copy 2
Abstracts of theses1 original, 2 copies
Photograph(s) showing applicant's own works of art or a recorded CD of musical
performance
(only for those majoring in fine arts or music) 1 original, 2 copies
Note 1:These documents must be written in Japanese or English, or translations in either of
these languages should be attached.
Note 2: Photographs (4.53.5 cm, taken within the past six months, upper body, full-faced,
uncapped. Write your name and nationality on the reverse and paste them onto the
Application Form and Placement Preference Form) attached to the original application
must be originals; copies are not acceptable. It is acceptable to paste the data of photo
on each application form and print it. (To print your photos and paste it on the
application form is not allowed.)
Note 3: The Field of Study and Research Program Plan should describe concretely and in
detail the applicants own research program because it will serve as important material
for placement of the applicant at a university.
Note 4: The academic transcripts of the last university attended should show the grade scale
applied and the grades earned by the applicant in all the subjects studied for each year
of study at a university department/faculty and graduate school. (A degree certificate or
a graduation certificate simply showing the ranking of the applicant at graduation will
not substitute for academic transcripts.)
Note 5: The graduation certificate and the degree certificate obtained from the last university
attended may be photocopies provided that the copies are attested by an authorized
person of the university.
Note 6: For abstracts of the theses, abstracts of the graduation thesis and any presented
papers will suffice. Please note that these abstracts will be used as basic data for
evaluation of the applicants academic ability.
Note 7: Number the documents( through ) in the right upper corner.
8.NOTES
(1) The recipient is advised to learn, before departing for Japan, the Japanese language and to
acquire some information about Japanese weather, climate, customs, university education,
and conditions in Japan, as well as about the difference between the Japanese legal system
and that of his/her home country.
(2) As the first installment of the scholarship payment cannot be provided immediately upon the
recipients arrival, the recipient should bring approximately US $2,000 to cover immediate
needs after arrival in Japan.
(3) Accommodations:
Residence halls for international students provided by universities.
Some universities have residence halls for international students. The recipients enrolled at
such universities may reside at these residence halls under certain conditions. However, due
to the limited number of rooms, some of these facilities may be unavailable.
Private boarding houses or apartments:
Those who are unable to find accommodation in the aforementioned facilities may live in
regular dormitories of the university or in private boarding houses/apartments. It is difficult
for recipients with dependents to find appropriate housing in Japan. The recipient is
requested to arrive in Japan alone first to secure housing before having his/her spouse
and/or family come to Japan.
(4) The English texts attached to the Application Guideline and the Application Form are for
convenience only. The Japanese versions of the Application Guideline and the Application
Form take precedence, and any English expressions do not change the Japanese content; if
you have any questions about the content of the written text, you should inquire at the
Japanese diplomatic mission.
(5) In addition to the regulations stipulated in this guideline, those that are necessary to
implement the Japanese Government Scholarship are determined by the Japanese
government.
(6) More detailed information on this scholarship program is available at the Japanese
diplomatic missions.
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